Atlanta, Ga. – In a surprising move, CNN is reporting
that marijuana may be a potential cure for certain types of cancer after
numerous studies have shown the viability of cannabis as a potential cancer
treatment. The report of marijuana being a potential cure was less surprising
than the fact that it was covered prominently by a mainstream media outlet.
The stunning admission comes as Dr. Sanjay Gupta,
CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent, has gone on record stating,
“It’s time for a medical marijuana revolution.”
The research, cited by CNN, was conducted in numerous
preclinical studies on mice and rats, as well as human cells. It has shown
“that cannabinoids may inhibit tumor growth by causing cell death, blocking
cell growth, and blocking the development of blood vessels needed by tumors to
grow. Laboratory and animal studies have shown that cannabinoids may be able to
kill cancer cells while protecting normal cells,” according to the National
Cancer Institute at the National Institute of Health.
Additionally, the National Cancer Institute reports
that a study in mice “showed that cannabinoids may protect against inflammation
of the colon and may have potential in reducing the risk of colon cancer, and
possibly in its treatment.”
In another “laboratory study of delta-9-THC, human
liver cancer cells showed that the substance damaged or killed the cancer
cells. The same study of delta-9-THC in mouse models of liver cancer showed
that it had antitumor effects,” according to the National Cancer Institute.
Positive signs were also shown in studies regarding
breast cancer as “a laboratory study of cannabidiol (CBD) in estrogen receptor
positive and estrogen receptor negative breast cancer cells showed that it
caused cancer cell death while having little effect on normal breast cells.
Studies in mouse models of metastatic breast cancer showed that cannabinoids
may lessen the growth, number, and spread of tumors.”
The preliminary research is extremely promising and
holds hope for numerous new treatments for numerous different types of cancer.
The problem is that the U.S. federal government treats possession of marijuana
as a criminal act.
Even the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a US
federal government research institute whose mission includes “bringing the
power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction,” has officially admitted
that marijuana extracts can kill cancer cells.
Currently, however, the U.S. government classifies
cannabis as a Schedule I drug, meaning that the government considers it to have
no acceptable medical usage or value. Other drugs classified as Schedule I are
LSD, heroin, ecstasy (MDMA), and peyote.
To do research on marijuana, scientists need approval
from numerous federal departments and approval is extremely rare. Subsequently,
this designation has prevented researchers from conducting clinical trials of
cannabis as a treatment for cancer in humans.
Imagine the possibilities if possessing this plant
wouldn’t get you kidnapped and locked in a cage, or killed.
The system is laid out in such a way that it creates
a dynamic where physicians refuse to even consider cannabis, despite seeing
evidence that it works. Without it being legitimized through clinical research
and practice standards, doctors fear professional repercussions and potentially
losing their license to practice medicine.
According to Dr. Gupta,
“There is now promising research into the use of
marijuana that could impact tens of thousands children and adults, including
treatment for cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s, to name a few. With regard to
pain alone, marijuana could greatly reduce the demand for narcotics and
simultaneously decrease the number of accidental painkiller overdoses, which
are the greatest cause of preventable death in this country.”
Currently, a bipartisan bill, authored by Rand Paul,
R-Kentucky, Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York —
titled the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States Act of
2015, is in the Senate. This act would ease many of the current restrictions,
simplifying the study of cannabis for research.
Dr. Gupta hits the nail on the head when he
poignantly stated:
“We should legalize medical marijuana. We should do
it nationally. And, we should do it now.”
The potential benefits from research into the medical
uses for cannabis know no bounds. We could quite possibly be at the precipice
of one of the greatest medical breakthroughs of our collective lives. If only
the federal government would get out of the way and allow science to study this
potential cure for cancer.
The time is now for us to make the changes we want to
see happen; a medical revolution is taking place before our eyes. Please share
this article with everyone you know to help awaken people to the potentially
life-saving properties of cannabis and the cutting edge research that is
proving it.
